The holidays are a time to get together with the family and take a break from the world at large. At least, in theory. In practice, too many families spend their time “together” individually playing around on their phones. Star of stage and screen Ellie Kemper has seen this, and she’s doing something about it.

To that end, Kemper has teamed up with HP’s Get Real campaign to promote family togetherness during the holiday season. While campaigning for increased family time, the actor sat down with Screen Rant to talk about how families can play nice through the art of papercraft, as well her family’s signature game, Fictionary. She also discusses the upcoming interactive Kimmy Schmidt Netflix special, which allows viewers to decide the course of events, such as deciding whether “Boobs in California” singer Titus Andromedon should take a nap or go to the gym.

The still-untitled Kimmy Schmidt special is expected to release sometime in 2020. In the meantime, prepare for the holiday season by heading to HP’s website and printing out some fun activities to share with the family over the winter break!

Hi Ellie!

So, it’s the holiday season, and I’m planning to go and visit my folks. I think the plan is to bring my phone and talk to them as little as possible. Is that advisable?

Hello!

Yeah, it is! It’s great to bond. Like Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, whatever holiday it is, I hear it’s really good to discuss politics at the table.

(Laughs) Listen,  we all get it. We need escapes. I think that is the key to being with your family around the holidays: balance, because you do need some of that alone time. However, I’m going to offer you a different escape. You don’t have to be on your phone the whole time. I’m working with HP on a campaign called Get Real. I really do think there’s some great value in putting your phones down and working –I shouldn’t say working – doing something entertaining together that doesn’t involve your phones. HP has created all these printable activities that you can do as a family, that you can do with other people. Listen: often, it’s a nice distraction to be able to do stuff with your hands… While having an argument! See, I created these snowflakes. What better way is there to channel any frustrations you might be having, than to not look at each other, but do your crafts and work out a solution to whatever argument you might be having! This is the solution!

Right? Like, we can all agree on et cetera, et cetera.

Oh, that’s always a non-controversial topic.

Yes, especially if one family member is a priest, and another is a rabbi, and the whole extended family, we’re all mixed, New York City… They love talking about politics and all of our disagreements are like beautiful snowflakes in and of themselves.

Oh yeah. No, its nice to discuss politics and religion, is a favorite of mine to discuss at the table.

Right… That is also a bit! Do not talk about politics at the table, right?

Right, that’s what we’re hoping to accomplish with these snowflakes.

Right. You’re supposed to carve out some time, like, with your dad, and you watch the game, but you don’t make eye contact. You just face forward and you don’t look at each other or talk for the whole four-hour game, right?

Oh yeah! Don’t talk about politics! We were joking! Just stay on surface topics.

Is it okay to watch a sports movie and cry?

I think going on a walk accomplishes the same thing, where you’re talking about something that might be a difficult issue, or whatever it is. But if you have something else to do while you’re doing that, that’s when the moments are made.

It’s the only way to get certain members of the family to cry.

Is it okay? I think it’s required! I mean, Rudy, there’s not a dry eye in the house, good luck to you!

What is the balance for you? What do you like to do with your family at the holidays?

Yes, exactly. Show some emotion! But you don’t want that to be the only thing you’re doing, sobbing over a sports movie.

And you get those opportunities to make eye contact that we so rarely indulge in in the rest of the year!

Okay, this is not a joke. Our favorite game is called Fictionary. That’s not a bit. Fictionary is a game where you all sit with a large dictionary and you find words that nobody knows the definition to, and then you come up with definitions for that word. And the point is that you can try to actually write a believable answer, or you’re just ridiculous. We’ve been playing this for years, but it always makes us laugh. It’s one of my favorite activities. My mom is a big games person. She always wants to play charades or whatever it is. I really do think, you might say, “Oh, this is harder than just spacing out in front of a screen,” but it’s much more fun! And I know it’s more fun, because that’s when I wet my pants so hard from laughing! Not during Rudy, but during activities you can actually do and feel.

Yeah! I hear that one of the best ways, you’re talking about games, and I hear there’s an interactive, game-like Kimmy Schmidt special on the way! Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Kinda! And you’re only together, for better or for worse, you’re only together for finite amounts of time during the year, so I think you may as well make the most of it and actually spend time together.

It’s a secret.

Yes! Thank you for being so nice about it! It’s an interactive special, we finished filming it this Summer. It’s called… I was literally about to say, “It’s called…” I don’t know what the title is. Maybe, “Kimmy is Interactive!”

Titus going to the gym, huh?

It’s a secret. But it’s basically a choose-your-own-adventure. So, every five minutes or so, the viewer can decide what course of action he wants the characters to take. So, okay, “Titus takes a nap, or Titus goes to the gym.” And then you follow the character down that particular route! I think it’s the first comedy to use this new interactive technology. But yeah, that’ll be out later in 2020. I’m very excited.

The possibilities are endless! Oh my god, I’m so hyped. Okay. So, hypothetically, you’ve got Titus, and you’ve got Kimmy, the whole gang at Christmas dinner. What’s that, what’s going on there?

Titus going to the gym. Titus the character.

(Gasp!)

What’s going on is HP.com/GetReal, because we’ve all gone down to the website, we’ve printed out our activities, and we are making puzzles together!

My aunt does 1000 piece puzzles.

Or musical instruments, or snowflake stencils! That’s what’s happening at that gathering!

I want to get her one that is just a solid red.

Oh my word!

I bet she could do it!

Yes! Drive her crazy! But I bet she could do that.

Maybe polka dots, or half red and half… Another color.

That’s another thing, my family does do a lot of puzzles at holidays. I had forgotten that one. Listen, my three-year-old just put together a puzzle that I don’t know if I could have done it. It was not all red, but it was a complicated puzzle. That’s a great family activity, I have to say. But not all red, don’t torture her!

The gradient!

Make it… What’s the word where it fades.

I love this construction paper and all of these.

Yes, the gradient! Have mercy, let her do that.

I… Uh, Oof, you know what? It’s been a while. It’s been a really long time since I’ve done crafts!

Are you good with crafts?

Well, it has been a pleasure and an honor and a privilige to talk to you.

I know, but see, I have a three-year-old, and when he is bringing home art projects from school, there is something very satisfying about seeing it and doing it with him. I’m telling you, there’s great satisfaction in this.

Thank you so much, and I can’t wait to take this advice, these lessons that I’ve learned.

Right back at you, thank you very much.

More: 10 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Storylines That Netflix Still Hasn’t Resolved

Thank you! You don’t have to put down the phone completely, but don’t use it all the time over the holidays, okay?